Photographic device



A. s. HOWELL rnomocmmuc Davies Filed Sept. 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l zven Zor- July 3, 1928. 1,675,555

A. s. HOWELL PHOTOGRAPHIC DFVIG! Filed Sept. 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 aim/rays Patented July 3, 1928 UNITED STATES rm, or onrcneo, ILLINOIS,

1,615,555 PATENT OFFICE.

. ALBERT S. HOWELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO. THE BELL & HOWELL CO!- .A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PHOTOGBAI'HIG DEVICE.

Application filed September 10, 1926. Serial No. 134,827.

My invention relates particularly to a photographic device for photographing titles on motion picture films although not limited to this use alone, and its main feature relates to the provision of a simple and effective device by means of which titles and similar subjects may be made and photographed in an effective and convenient manner.

Wit-h this feature in view my invention consists in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts by which the said feature and certain other features are effected all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

'In the said drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a photographic device embodying the features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same with parts broken away and in section.

Figure 3 is a partial front elevation of a motion picture camera equipped with the adaptor of my invention.

Figure 4 is a artial top plan view of the camera equipped with the adaptor, parts'beingrbroken away and sectione igure 5 is a sectional view on-the lme 5--5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a partial section-on the line 6-6 of igure 2.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts'in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a flat base or support, provided with an intermediate opening 2 therethrough extending inwardly from one end thereof. See

Figures1,-2 and 5. Secured on the upper surface of the base at this end thereof and on respective sides of said opening are two,

ures 1, 2 and 5, and out of this position into aposition overlying the base for purposes hereinafter described. The card holder has curved slot and stud connections 6, of usual construction, with the brackets 3 whereby the upright position of the card holder is predetermined by the engagement of the studs with ends of the slots of these connections. The upper portion of the card holder 5 1s flat and faces toward the far end of the base 1 when it is in upri ht position, and the sides of this portion 0 the card holder are formed with opposing parallel slides? adapted for the engagement therein of opposite edge portions of an objective card 8 for the interchangeable mounting on the card holder of objective cards on the face of the card holder facing the far end of the base 1 when the card holder is in upright position, lugs 9 on the card holder engaging the lower edges of an objective card on the card holder to limit downward movement of the card.

Thus is an objective card 8 mounted in a. predetermined position on the card holder SO that when the card holder is in upright position asurface of the objective card is u right and facestoward the far end of t e base 1. 1

Mounted on the base adjacent the said far end thereof is a clamp screw device 11, of usual construction, WhlCll is adapted for engagement with the usual screw threaded bore of a photographic camera 12 for releasably securing the camera on the base 1 at the end of the base opposite that at which the card holder 5 is disposed. See Figures 2 and 6. The camera illustrated is a well known type of spring driven or automatic motion picture camera, the operation of which is controlled by a push button 13.

thereon, and as so secured on the base the camera extends upwardly from the upper surface of the base with the focal axis thereof extending in parallelism with the base. An angle plate 14 has one leg thereof secured downwardly on the upper surface of the base underneath the camera and has the. other leg thereof extending upwardly from the base and engaging a side-surface of the camera, as designated at 15,1to maintain the camera in a predetermined angular position,

with respect to the axis of the clamp screw ,7

device 11. Thus is the camera mounted in a predetermined position on the base 1 and as so positioned it is trained on an objective card 8 on the card holder 5, when the card holder is in its upright position, for the photographing of matter on the surface of the objective card facing the camera, the predetermination of the relative positions of the camera and the objective obviating any calculation in the relative positioning of the camera and objective and uncertainty as to the photographic field of the camera, the objective cards 8 being of such a size as to be substantially coextensive with the photo'- graphic field of the camera with obvious advantage. Titles or other matter tobe photoa hed are inscribed or placed on an obective card 8 and photographed in an obvious manner with certainty and convenience. In order to insure proper and uniform photographic light a pair of directive illuminating devices, generally indicated at 16, are mounted on the base 1 above the upper surface thereof and are disposed 1ntermediate the camera 12 and the objective card holder 5 and on respective sides of the focal axis of the camera for illuminating an objective card 8 inthe card holder 5; See Figures 1 and 2. Each of the these illumii nating devices consists of a conventional incandescent electric lamp socket 17 secured on the upper surface of the base, an incandescent electric lamp 18 therein .andan opaque shield 19 enclosing the lamp and provided with a light aperture 20 facing the card holder 5. These illuminating devices are preferably controlled by an electric' switch 21 mounted on the base 1, and a usual extension cord plug 22 is also mounted on the base for'supplying current to the lamps The shields 19 of the illuminating devices are removably mounted on the sockets 17, .and whenit is desired to store the device 'the shields 19 together with the lamps 18 tion overlying the base 1 is out of the phot0- graphic field of the camera, so that subjects not mounted on the card holder may be photographed by the camera 12 while mounted on the base 1. I j

The opening 2 in the base 1 extends forwardly of the exposed surface of an objective card 8 on the holder 5, when the holder is in its upright position, and through this opening the objective card on the holder is accessible for the inscription or placing of matter on the objective card to be photographed whereby the procedure of inscribing or placing of matter 'on the card may be photographed. A hand holding a pen, designated at 22, is shown in Figure 1 in position for writing on a card 8 in the holder 5 while the camera is in operation, the base 1 being preferably tilted so that the writer has a convenient and natural position. x

The camera 12 and the card holder 5 are disposed abnormally close for convenience enses and compactness and in" order to coordinate the camera with this abnormally short d1s tance and with the convenient size of the objective card 8, the following adaptor is lens, designated at 25 in Figure 4, and a i" spacing collar member 26 is disposed between the' shoulders of those formations for spacing the lens forwardly of its normal position on i the camera in coordlnation with the distance between the camera and the card holder and the size of the objective card 8 on the card holder. Sec Figures 2, 3 and 4. The spacl ng collar member 26 is provided with a lat- GI'Hl'CXi-OllfilOl'l 27 extending in front of the collar member, and a refracting prism 31 is' mounted on the extension 27 at the aperture 29 for coordinating the view finder with the photographic lield of the camera at said abnormally short distance so that the objective card 8 in the holder 5 may be viewed through the view finder. I

WVhile I .have described and shown the preferred embodiment of my invention 1 do not Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, but having thus described my invention, I'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:

1. In a device of the character described the combination of a flat support, means for securing a motion picture camera in a predetermined posltlon thereon and above one face thereof, and an objective mounted on said support and presenting a surface extending upright from said .face of the support and facing. said camera for the photo;

graphing of matter on said objective, said support havlng an opening therethrough and extending forwardly of said surface of the objective and through which opening said surface is accessible for the inscription of matter thereon whereby to effect the photographing ofthe procedure of inscrib'ing matter on said surface.

2. In a device of .the character described the combination of a fiat support, means for releasably securing a motion picture camera in a predetermined position thereon and abovea face thereof with its focal axis extending in parallelism with the support, an objective card holder adapted'for the inter- L changeable mounting of objective cards in a predetermined positionthereon, and means "carrying'said card holder on said support for pivotal movement into a predetermined upright position with respect to saidsupport for the photographing by said .c' amera of matter On an objective cardmounted on 1 adjacent said said card holder and outfof this position into a position overlying said support, said whereby to effect the photographing of the .era for photographingat a predetermined I procedure of inscribing matter on the card.

8. In a device of the character described the combination of an objective adapted for the display of matter to be photographed, means for releasably securing said objective at a predetermined abnormally short distance from a photographic camera for the photographing of matter displayed by said objective, means for adjusting the photographic l'cns 'of the camera forwardly of its normal position on the camera in coordination with said distance and the size of said objective, and refracting prism means for coordinating a view finder of the camera, separate fromthe photographic lens of the camera and coordinated with the lens for normal objective distances, with said objec tive as so positioned. i

i 4. In an adapting means of the character described the combination of means for adjusting the photographic lens of a photographic camera to a predetermined position forwardly of its normal position on thecamabnormally short distance, and refracting prism means for coordinating a. view finder of the camera, separate from the photographic lens of the camera and coordinated with the lens for normal objective distances, with the photographic field of the camera at said distance and with the photographic lens positioned as aforementioned.

5. In an adapter of the character described the combination of a spacing collar member adapted to be placed between the shoulders of the screw threaded and shouldered lens mount formations of a photographic camera and the phot" graphic lens thereof for ad- 'justing the l e ns forwardly of its normal position on the camera for photographing at a predetermined abnormally short distance, an extension, on said collar member adapted toextend in front of an exterior view finder on the camera, separate from the photographic lens of the camera and coordinated with the lens for normal objective distances, and provided with an aperture alined with the view finder, rearwardly extending lugs on said extension adapted to embrace said view finder for 'angularly positioning said collar member, and a retracting prism mounted on said extension at said aperture for coordinatin said view finder with the photographic field of the camera at said distance and with the photographic lens positioned as aforementioned.

In witness whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 1st day of September, 1926.

ALBERT S. HOWELL. 

